Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says UK defence spending should go beyond a target of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, suggesting "short-term repurposing" of some of the 0.5% dedicated to development aid.
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00:00We must rebuild, and rebuild quickly.
00:03We need to increase defence expenditure significantly,
00:07but this is about more than committing to spend a particular percentage of our GDP.
00:13Of course, spend does matter, and 2.5% by 2030 was our funded commitment in the last government,
00:20but it was a down payment on more.
00:23Keir Starmer cancelled our plan and set us back.
00:262.5% by 2030 is now no longer sufficient.
00:32We must rebuild and go further and faster.
00:35Rebuilding will be achieved by having a plan to rearm based on an efficient, focused military,
00:42equipped with and trained to use the new kinds of weapons we have seen deployed to devastating effect in Ukraine.
00:49He should consider whether some of the 0.5% currently spent on development aid should be repurposed,
00:56at least in the short term, towards defence and security.
01:00And he should also look at making welfare savings to fund increased defence expenditure.